July 26 (UPI) — Sheriff’s deputies called to investigate an unusual object on a Florida beach discovered the item was a floating cylinder being used by a man attempting to run to Bermuda.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office tweeted photos showing the cylindrical object on a beach in the Hammock area.
“We are happy to announce that the occupant of the vessel is safe with no injuries,” the sheriff’s office tweeted.
Reza Baluchi, the occupant of the unusual aquatic vehicle, said the vessel is designed to allow him to run across the surface of the water. He said he washed ashore Saturday while attempting to run from the Florida coast to Bermuda.
Baluchi said his run is aimed at helping agencies that need funds.
“My goal is to not only raise money for homeless people, raise money for the Coast Guard, raise money for the police department, raise money for the fire department. They are in public service, they do it for safety and they help other people,” he told WOFL-TV.
Previously, Baluchi was rescued from a Hydro bubble near St. Augustine, Fla., in 2014, and in 2016 was rescued again in a Hydro pod off the Jupiter, Fla., coast.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said the U.S. Coast Guard is investigating whether Baluchi’s cylinder complies with regulations.
Baluchi said he will not be deterred from his project.
“I’ll never give up my dream. They stop me four or five times but I never give up,” he said.